I recently bought this bike via eBay from a gent who really wasn't cut out for commuting. It was bought by him in November 2017 and done 180 miles in the time since.
I picked it up from London earlier this week and rode it from Embankment to Marylebone Station with it as was. That was exciting! I soon got used to the cut & thrust of London traffic - it was snarled up, so easy! - but the main impediment was the fact that there was only about 15psi in the large tyres. I was bouncing around all over the place. I duly arrived in one piece and took it back home on the train.
A quick look round the next day showed that the brake cables had stretched and a bolt holding the mudguard in-situ had loosened. That was tightened up. Also, the suspension seatpost bounced me around like a jack-in-the-box. I took it off and screwed the adjustment bolt and it now seems much better, if a little squeaky. It was the work of a few minutes to rectify those little issues.
The bike is dusty, but otherwise almost as new. It's very well put together, as befits a German machine. The Bosch Active system works and the display is reasonably intuitive.
First impressions:
Good:
Very well made
Quality componentry - with one exception
Built in lights - for being seen, not necessarily for seeing
Comfy bar ends
Not-so-good/so-so:
The battery is only 300w/8.4Ah
The seatpost is a bit naff
The rack does the job, but isn't top notch
The adjustable stem brings the bars rather too close to me when raised
The inner tubes have Woods valves (& will be replaced with prestas)
It has a coaster brake - not my favourite, though it has its uses
Twist grip shifter - I might see if a trigger shifter is available
Poor:
The pedals are distinctly cheap & will be replaced at the weekend
I rode it into work today on my 9.5-mile commute. Not knowing how well the battery would stand up, I nursed it along in Eco mode most of the time, switching to Tour on hillier stretches. On the way home I can be a little more generous with the power (if the gauge can be believed) as I still have 4 bars out of 5. I'll try out the Sport and Turbo modes to see how it goes.
The Nexus gearing seems well suited to the task of commuter. I haven't ridden the route for 8 weeks, so was out of condition, but the range seems to suit the power available. It seems well geared at the lower range, which is good. I can always coast down hills, but need help uphill.
The brakes are good. My other bikes have discs, but the v-brakes stop it well enough. I can start to get used to using the coaster brake as a regulator.
I have some Raw mudguard extensions to fit at the weekend. I want to keep the Bosch unit as protected as possible. I may see if I have some bars that will counter the rather cramped riding position, but I'll tinker with the settings on the saddle rails and bars before doing that.
For £800 I'll consider it a bargain, but I hadn't realised how expensive Bosch Powerpack batteries and chargers are! A 500w battery is >£500! I may end up getting one though.
I picked it up from London earlier this week and rode it from Embankment to Marylebone Station with it as was. That was exciting! I soon got used to the cut & thrust of London traffic - it was snarled up, so easy! - but the main impediment was the fact that there was only about 15psi in the large tyres. I was bouncing around all over the place. I duly arrived in one piece and took it back home on the train.
A quick look round the next day showed that the brake cables had stretched and a bolt holding the mudguard in-situ had loosened. That was tightened up. Also, the suspension seatpost bounced me around like a jack-in-the-box. I took it off and screwed the adjustment bolt and it now seems much better, if a little squeaky. It was the work of a few minutes to rectify those little issues.
The bike is dusty, but otherwise almost as new. It's very well put together, as befits a German machine. The Bosch Active system works and the display is reasonably intuitive.
First impressions:
Good:
Very well made
Quality componentry - with one exception
Built in lights - for being seen, not necessarily for seeing
Comfy bar ends
Not-so-good/so-so:
The battery is only 300w/8.4Ah
The seatpost is a bit naff
The rack does the job, but isn't top notch
The adjustable stem brings the bars rather too close to me when raised
The inner tubes have Woods valves (& will be replaced with prestas)
It has a coaster brake - not my favourite, though it has its uses
Twist grip shifter - I might see if a trigger shifter is available
Poor:
The pedals are distinctly cheap & will be replaced at the weekend
I rode it into work today on my 9.5-mile commute. Not knowing how well the battery would stand up, I nursed it along in Eco mode most of the time, switching to Tour on hillier stretches. On the way home I can be a little more generous with the power (if the gauge can be believed) as I still have 4 bars out of 5. I'll try out the Sport and Turbo modes to see how it goes.
The Nexus gearing seems well suited to the task of commuter. I haven't ridden the route for 8 weeks, so was out of condition, but the range seems to suit the power available. It seems well geared at the lower range, which is good. I can always coast down hills, but need help uphill.
The brakes are good. My other bikes have discs, but the v-brakes stop it well enough. I can start to get used to using the coaster brake as a regulator.
I have some Raw mudguard extensions to fit at the weekend. I want to keep the Bosch unit as protected as possible. I may see if I have some bars that will counter the rather cramped riding position, but I'll tinker with the settings on the saddle rails and bars before doing that.
For £800 I'll consider it a bargain, but I hadn't realised how expensive Bosch Powerpack batteries and chargers are! A 500w battery is >£500! I may end up getting one though.
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